Feeding mechanism



lnt. 14 19.25.

L. K. pAvls FEEDING MEQHANISM Fired May1e.. 1921 2 shuts-shear 1Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS K. DAVIS, OF CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND. ASSIGNOR T0 VAUGHN CAMP, 0FNOR-FOLK, VIRGINIA.

FEEDING MEGHANISM.

Application led May 16, 1921.

used in connection with machines for constructing st-iened fabric suchas wall board, etc., and it has particular relation to that port-ion ofthe device which receives reinforcing strips from the chute or hopperand conveys and delivers them to the supporting backing or fabric uponwhich they are deposited for further treatment.

In my copending application filed on the 17th day of May, 1921, SerialNo. 470,471 I designed a feeding device which is well suited for thepurpose intended. The present invention is designed as another form ofdevice which has been found particularly efective in practice.

With these and other objects in view which may be incident to myimprovements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations to behereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that theseveral necessary elements comprising my invention, may be varied inconstruction, proportions, and arrangement, withoutdeparting from thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown inthe accompanying drawing-'s means for carrying the same into practicaleffect, without limiting the improvements in their useful applicationsto the particular constructions, which for the purpose of explanation,have been made the subject of illustration.

In the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device.

Fig. 2`is a plan view of the power transmission shaft and itsconnections for operating the feed for the reinforcing strips, showingalso in section the vert-ical supports extending up from the main frameof the machine upon which the transmission shaft is mounted. c

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the conveyor and feed, showing the sprocketwheels and the Serial No. 470,060.

sprocket chains cooperating therewith to push the strips upon theconveyor.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the chute with reinforcingstrips therein.v indicating also diagrammatically the lugs or flightsupon the sprocket chains as they travel past the chute and push thelowest strip into position over the slot in the bottom whence it fallsinto its proper position upon the conveyor.

Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged view of the right hand sprocket wheel andadjusting mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Upon the main frame of the machine (not sh wn) are located verticalsupports 2, one on each side, with a transverse bar 3 connectingtogether the two vertical supports. Said bar acts also to support aplatform or table 4 over which the conveyor travels.

Mounted on the vertical support 2 and attached thereto by bolts 6 is abracket 5 from which extends a curved arm 8 (see Fig. 2), whose free endsupports a bearing 9, for the shaft 10 extending transversely of themachine. 0n the other side of the machine is a similar bracket 5', fromwhich extends a similar arm 11 whose free end supports a bearing 12through which said transverse shaft 10 extends. The farther end of shaft1() is mounted in bearings 13, adjacent which and secured upon the shaftis a pulley 14.

One end of the shaft 10 is provided with a toothed pinion 15, whichintermeshes with a. like pinion 16 upon a vertical shaft 17,

` the lower end of which rests in a bearing 18 Secured by bolts orrivets 31 and ex.-y

tending towards the right from the vertical support 2 are two U-shapedarms or members 24 and 25, and mounted so as to be capable. ofhorizon-tal movement therein are caps 26 and 27 forming bearings for theends of a stud shaft 29. Upon said shaft and revolving with it is thesprocket wheel 23. Secured by bolts 31 to each ofthe members 24 and 25is a yoke 32 formed with a boss 35 which is apertured to receive anadjusting bolt 4l.

Suitably fixed on the caps 26 and'27 and extending outwardly therefromin the same plane are bolts 36., the outer ends of which are adapted topass through apertures in lugs 36 of a metallic strap 37, shapedsimilarly to the yolre member 32. The outer end of the stra-p 37 has ascrew threaded aperture 40, located opposite the boss 35, and byrevolving the screw 41 therein, the sprocket wheel and the stud sha-ftupon which it is mounted can be shifted towards or fromthe support 2 andthe sprocket chain 4l correspondingly loosened or tightened.

Each of the caps 26 and 27 are provided with apertured ears 26 and 27and each of the lugs 36 is provided with an eye 28 .l and between theears and the lugs is in! serted a coiled spring 28 the ends of whichextend through the eyes 28 and the apertured ears 26 and 27. The purposeof the spring is to afford a resilient connection between the stud shaft29 and the adjustable strap 37.

As the sprocket wheel 60v on the opposite side of the machine is mountedfor horizont-al adjustment in a manner exactly similar to the sprocketwheel 23, furtherdescription thereof is considered unnecessary.

Referring again to the shaft l0 the upper part of Figure 2 shows theconnection of this shaft on the farther side of the machine with itssource of power.4 As will be seen in said figure the pulley 14 is con-vnected by means of a belt 42 to a pulley 43 upon the shaft 43 mounted inbearings 44 and 45. The pulley 43 by means of a belt 46 is connected toa pulley 47 mount ed upon a shaft 48, which receives its power from anysuitable source. The short transverse shaft 43 on the end adjacent tobear- `ing 44 is provided with a pinion 48- engaging an intermeshingpinion 49 mounted upon the lower end of the vertical shaft 5() similar'to the pinion 16 on the other side of the machine. The mechanism justdescribed drives the sprocket 50 (Fig. 3) o-n the opposite side of themachine and its companion sprocket wheel 60 to theleft by means of thesprocket chain 51, it being understood that while the respectivesprocket chains travel in the same direction on opposite sides of themachine, the edges adjacent the reinforcingstrips are traveling inopposite directions.

Mounted upon the main frame of the machine and extending transverselyand obliquely across thel same is a chute or hopper 52 plainly seen inFigs. l and 3. The base plate 53 of this chute and the manner ofaligning the strips 54 therein with respect vto the slot 54 in the baseis best shown in Fig. 4.

line from end to end when it falls through the slot 54 in the bottom ofthe chute.

l(lne of the elements 58 of the conveyor 59,

is'coordinated to arrive opposite the slot 54 at the moment and thestrip falls upon it and is carried along` by the conveyor to a pointwhere it is further acted upon by the fabricating machine, of which thelY mechanism forming the subject of this application constitutes a part.1

Vilhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, li

wish it to be understood that I do notconf line myself to the preciseldetails of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as itis apparent that manv modications and variations may be made therein, bythose skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of theinvention, or

exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: l. ln a device of the character described, thecombination with the frame of a machine, a conveyor to travel over thesame and a nearby chute for reinforcing strips,

of means on each side of the conveyor adapted to so position the strips.as they leave the chute that they will fall in a straight line acrossthe conveyor.

2. ln a device of the character described, the combination with theframe of a machine, a conveyor to travel over the same it will fall in astraight line across the` conveyor.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with theframe of a machine, conveyor to travel over the same.

of a chute for reinforcing strips mounted..

obliquely acrossthe machine, means on each side of the conveyor adaptedto move againstthe ends of each strip and to so position it as -itleaves the'chute that it will fall in a straight line across the con-Il' veyor.

4. ln a device of the character described7 the combination with theframe of a ma# chine, a conveyor totravel over the same, a chute forreinforcing strips mounted ob- MED li uely across `the machine, andsprocket wieels mounted on each side of the ymachine, of cha-insvtravellingover said Wheels and lugs or flights at spaced intervals uponsaid chains adapted to move against the ends of each strip as it leavesthe chute to so position it that it will fall in a straight line acrossthe conveyor.

In device of the character described, the combination with the frame ofa machine, a conveyor to travel over the same, a `chute for reinforcingstrips mounted obliquely across the machine, a longitudinal slot A'inthe base ,of said chute, and a cut-away portion.y .at each end of thechute just above the base, of sprocket Wheels mounted on each Aside ofthe machine, chains travelling over said Wheels, lugs or flights locatedat spaced intervals upon the chains adapted to `move in oppositedirections against the ends of each strip* as it leaves the chute `andto so position the strip that it Will fall in a straight line across theconveyor.

6. In va device of the character described, the combination ivi-th theframe of a machine, a conveyor to travel over the same, a chute forreinforcing strips mounted obliquely across the machine, a longitudinalslot in the base of said chute and a cut-- aivay portion at each endjust above the base, of a pair of sprocket Wheels mounted on each sideof the machine, one of Which in each pair is adjustably mounted Withrespect to the other, chains travelling over said Wheels, lugs orflights located at spaced intervals upon the chains adapted to move inan opposite direction against the ends of each strip as it leaves thechute and to so position the strip that it will fall in a straight line`across the conveyor.

7. In a device of the characterl described, the combination with theframe. of a ma` chine, a conveyor to travel over the same and a chutefor reinforcing strips mounted obliquely across the machine, of a pairof sprocket Wheels mounted on each side of the machine, one of which ineach pair is adjustably and yieldingly mounted with respect to theother, chains connecting said wheels and lugs or flights located atspaced intervals upon said chains adapted to move in oppositeldirections against theends of each strip as it leavesthe chute and toso position the strip` that it will fall in a straight line across theconveyor,

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with theframe of a machine, a conveyor to travel over the same and a nearbychute for reinforcing strips, a pair of sprocket Wheels mounted on eachside of the machine, one of which in each pair is adjustably mountedWith respect to the other, and chains traveling over said Wheels, ofmeans upon the chains adapted to engage the strips in the chute and toso other, and chains traveling over said Wheels,

of lugs upon the chains adapted to engage the strips and .to `soposition them that they will fall each in a straight line across theconveyor.

l0. In a device of .the character described,

the combination With `the frame of a machine, a conveyor .to .travelover the same,

ya nearby chute for reinforcing strips, .a pair of sprocket Wheelsmounted ,on each side of the machine, one of Which in each pair isadjustably and yieldingly mounted with respect to the other, andchains'traveling .over said Wheels, of lugs .upon the chains ladapted toenga-ge the strips and to Aso position them that they -ivil'l fall eachin a straight line across the conveyor.

1l. In a device of the character described, the combination of the frameof a machine, a conveyor to travel over the same, a nearby7 chute forreinforcing strips, and a pair of sprocket Wheels mounted on each sideof the machine, one of which in each pair is adjustably and yieldinglymounted with respect to the other, with lugs located at spaced intervalsupon the chains adapted to engage the strips and to so position themthat. they Will fall each in a straight line across the conveyor.

l2. In a device of the character described, the combination with theframe of a machine, a conveyor to travel over the same, a nearby chut-eslotted at the bottom for reinforcing strips, a pair of sprocket Wheelsmounted on each side of the machine, one of which in each pair isadjustably and yielding/ly mounted with respect to the other, and chainspassing over said Wheels, of lugs located at spaced intervals upon thechains adapted to engage the strips and to so position them that theywill fall each in a straight line.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination with theframe of a machine, a conveyor to travel over the same and a nearbychute for reinforcing strips Whose bottom is slotted, of means on eachside of the conveyor adapted to move in opposite direc-tions against theends of each strip and to so position it that it will fall through theslotted bottom in a straight line across the conveyor.

.14. In a device of the character described, the combination with theframe of a machine, a conveyor to travel over t-he same, a nearby chutefor reinforcing strips Whose and to so position them that they Willfall' in a straight line across the conveyor.

15. In a device of the character described, the combination Withthe'frame of a machine, a conveyor to `travel over the same, a nearbychute for reinforcing strips Whose bottom is slot-ted and Whose Wallsare partially cut-away at the ends and a `pair of sprocket Wheelsmounted on each side of the machine, one of the Wheels in each pairbeing adjustably mounted with respect to the other, of lugs located atspaced intervals upon the chains adapted to engage the strip-s and to soposition them that they Will fall in a straight line across theconveyor.

16. In a device of the character described, the combination With theframe of a inachine, a conveyor yto travel over the same,

and a chute `for reinforcing strips mounted obliqnely across themachine, of means on each side of the conveyor adapted toi so po- 1 18.In a device of the character described,

a chute for ice-enforcing strips, means for picking the stripstherefrom, pairs of sprocket Wheels over Which said means travel, a yokeWithin which the shaft `and I shaft mounting of one of the Wheels ofeach pai-r is mounted, and means for adjusting` the yoke so as to takeup any slack in the picking means.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

LEWIS Kn DAVIS.

